Engagement Party
by Luxor Nautalis
Summary: Alice goes to an Engagement party, and is pleasantly surprised by what she finds.
1. Some of the Thrill

**Disclaimer;** I do not own RE, their characters (though I wish I did...), their plot, theme or names, and I do not claim ownership to them. However, I DO claim ownership to my writing, so please don't steal =)

**Authors Note;** This wasn't really meant to be more than the one chapter, though if I get reviews asking for more, I will surely comply. ;) (Or, I might just get hungry for some more Claire x Alice action, and continue anyway) Hope you guys like it!

**Rating;** T+ for some strong language and suggestive adult content.

**Pair;** Alice x Claire

Alice was dreading tonight. It wasn't every day that your best friend got married, and tonight just so happened to be his engagement party. After the day at work she had had, Alice was not happy about attending. But, she couldn't let Carlos down, now could she? And so, she took a deep breath, once more looking through the clothes that hung in her closet, looking for something decent...A dress was unacceptable. She hated the damn things, and they made her look just a bit too girly for her taste, thought she knew if she showed up in a dress, Rain would practically explode.

Alice couldn't help but laugh as she thought of the tough, hard Umbrella soldier that worked in the hive as apart of her security team. Her and Carlos were her two best operatives, by far, and she was proud to call them friends, really...but sometimes, Rain had a bad habit of getting a little too grabby. And the fact that she totally had the hots for Alice only made her grabby much worse. And Alice just wasn't into her like that.

For a second, the blond imagined the look on the soldier's face if she showed up in a dress. No doubt her jaw would drop to the floor, her eyes would swell to take over her face, and did I mention drool? Oh yes, there would be lots of drool. And, though the look on Rain's face was enough to make her consider wearing a dress, the thought of the Hispanic woman practically humping her leg all night completely expelled any possibility of that.

She sighed, moving one hanger along the rack after another, her eyes glancing boringly at the scant few clothes she had. _Dammit! This is why I need a fucking life!_ She had absolutely no decent clothes, and it was all because she was married to her job. Well, Technically she was married to Spence, but both man and woman knew that the marriage was a scam, and Alice had made it clear from day one that absolutely nothing was going to happen between them. It wasn't until a few months later that Spence found out exactly why nothing was going to happen, and Alice had never seen a man blush so much. Though, she was pretty sure she would have blushed like crazy too if she had walked up on Spence making out with another dude in nothing but a bra and panties. Well, blush wouldn't be the right word...Crack the hell up would be more appropriate.

She shook her head, trying to keep her mind on track by once more shifting through the clothes. Then, she saw it. A bright red, low cut silk blouse she had bought what seemed like ages ago. Lightly, she pulled the hanger off of the bar and pressed the blouse against her body before looking in the mirror. With a smile, she lightly set it on the bed before she turned back to look for something to go with it. It only took her moments; Black skinny jeans, and sleek leather boots that came almost up to her knee and had a two inch heel.

Quickly, she dropped the damp towel that she had been holding around her body to the ground and moved to the dresser near her bedroom door. She dug in the drawrs for a few moments before she found a pair of lacy panties and it's matching push-up bra. Why would she need them? Well, Carlos knew a lot of pretty hot women, and Alice had a good chance of getting laid tonight. And, if she did, she wanted to look her best with her clothes off, as well as on.

With her panties slipped on, and her bra buckled (with the girls perked happily inside), the rest of her clothes quickly followed. Alice was dressed and ready in a matter of minutes, and, peeking in the mirror one last time and running a hand through her unruly blond hair, she grabbed her keys and wallet from the dresser and headed out the door and down the staircase. As suspected, Spence, who was watching TV in the living room, looked up at her expectantly before his jaw dropped. With a smug smile, Alice thought of Rain.

"Damn woman! Where the hell have you been all my life!" Though Spence's words were amusing, to say the least, she had no patience at the moment for his flattery. But, she had to give him points...he continued to flirt and flatter, even though he knew it would ever get him anywhere.

"Screwing your girlfriend," she teased in return, watching with amusement as he squirmed beneath her steely blue gaze. The man only smiled in reply before his eyes began roaming, which was Alice's cue to leave.

"Don't know when I'll be back, so don't wait up. And...ignore any sounds you might hear going...you know...moan in the night," She said with a wink as Spence's jaw once more dropped. Her smirk only grew as she saw the man surreptitiously grab a throw pillow and slid it over his crotch. Oh, how Alice loved teasing him. Putting images in his head that would most likely keep him up for days.

She gave him a salute before moving out the front door, down the stairs to the circle driveway and toward the sleek black BMW that was parked at the bottom of the steps, thanks to the valet Umbrella kept for them. It was convenient on days like this, especially when she was trying not to bust her ass in the heels she was wearing. Alice didn't do heels very often..she much preferred combat boots to anything, but she didn't think Carlos would be pleased if she showed up in those. Plus, black leather knee-high heels made her look sexy as hell, if she didn't say so herself. She was defiantly getting laid tonight.

The drive to the reception hall was a short one, thanks to the mansions short commute to Racoon City. There were very few cars parked outside, but that didn't surprise her...she was fifteen minutes early. But, she had promised her friend she would come early, and so she had. She pulled her car next to Carlos' black Escalade- when you worked for Umbrella, you could afford expensive cars- and slipped out, quickly moving toward the building and entering.

She was met almost instantly by the burly, tanned soldier, who had both eyebrows raised and a foolish grin on his face. She spotted Jill not far behind, dressed in a light blue dress that clung to her body and left very little the imagination. To top it all off, on her feet she wore three-inch black stiletto heels, perfectly accentuating her shapely legs. Alice couldn't help but smile with appreciation, silently giving her friend a kudos.

"Damn Alice...Didn't know you cleaned up so well...Maybe I'm marrying the wrong woman," he said in a conspiratory whisper, though he knew his fiance could hear him.

"I heard that, Carlos!" Jill exclaimed on cue, lightly slapping the man's heavily muscled upper arm.

"Don't worry, Valentine. He's not my type," Alice said in a drawl, her eyes moving to the raven haired woman standing beside her best friend. "You, on the other hand..." she trailed off as her eyes moved appreciatively over the other woman's curves, her signature smirk curling her lips.

"Hey, hey! Enough of that," Carlos declared, stepping partially in front of Jill while both women shared a laugh.

A few months ago, all Jill and Alice would have shared was a hate-filled glare. But, as her and Carlos got more and more serious, Alice slowly found herself warming up to the woman. Alice would dare day she liked her. They were actually a lot a like, in many ways. Both dedicated to their jobs, both outwardly cold and callous, both total ass kicking bitches with a temper. Carlos, Alice had figured out, liked his girls spunky, if anything could be determined by the two women closest to him.

Jill, for her part, also found herself warming to Alice. When she had first gotten together with Carlos, Jill had made to secret at her hate for the blond. She couldn't deny the jealousy she felt, though it wasn't long until she found out where the blond's...taste lie. After that, it was pretty much downhill. Time spent with Carlos acting as a buffer had made them both ease up a bit on their loathing, until Jill found herself respecting her future husband's best friend. Respect turned to appreciation, and appreciation turned to like. Now, the two women had an understanding. Alice wasn't going to take Carlos from her, and Jill wasn't going to get between their friendship. With this understanding came a small, but growing, friendship of their own, though neither woman would openly admit it.

"Oh Alice, the things you do to me," Jill swooned with a smile, her voice hiking up in pitch and her face adopting a smitten look often seen in old black-and-white films long past their prime. They both laughed again at the look on the soldier's face before Alice gave him a playful slap on his shoulder.

"Well, man, It's just another one to add to the list," she said teasingly, referring to the long list Carlos kept titled 'Girlfriends Alice has Stolen'.

She couldn't help a chuckle as she thought of just how long that list was, and all the times she had, indeed, taken one of Carlos' girls right from under his nose. It was a long-running war they had started almost as soon as they met seven years ago, and in all that time, Alice was the clear victor.

"You're something else, you know that?" He muttered with a frown, glancing between his fiance and friend.

"I know, but it's why you love me," Alice pipped, moving forward to pull the man into a hug. "Congratulations, old man."

Carlos, unable to hold a grudge for long against the blond, immediately perked up and leaned into the blond's embrace, mumbling his thanks. The hug didn't last long, both of them being too proud for things like hugs, and Alice turned next to Jill. The black haired woman received a hug as well and returned it with comfortable ease.

"You too, Valentine," Alice said, pulling back enough to place a soft kiss on the other woman's pale, flawless cheek before she ended that embrace too. She smiled at the sight of the slight blush spreading across Jill's face, and Carlos' scowl. She passed the man a quick, playful wink and his scowl dissolved.

"Thanks Alice. It means a lot that you've come. To Carlos, and to me," the woman stumbled awkwardly, quickly trying to fight away the redness in her cheeks.

Alice knew such sentiment was rare for the other woman, so she accepted it with a smile.

"So," she stated, effectively changing the subject, "Is there a reason you two asked me to come early?" Her eyes flicked between the pair.

"Well, uh, we wanted to talk to you...about the wedding," Jill stumbled, putting Alice immediately on guard.

"Yes...?" she drawled questionably.

"Well, I wanted to ask you..." Carlos began, looking toward Jill for what almost seemed to be encouragement, "If you wanted to be my best man..."

Alice spent a few moments in shocked silence before she got a hold of herself and a large smile stretched across his face. "Of course!" she practically squealed before launching herself at Carlos, enveloping him in a tight hug. The soldier looked pleased, and returned the blonds embrace.

"Thank god," he sighed with relief. "I thought you would flip a lid"

"Why?" Alice was slightly confused as to why he hadn't asked her already, but she refrained from asking that just yet.

"Well, He thought you would be insulted about the 'best _man' _part," Jill answered for him, ignoring the betrayed look Carlos gave her.

"If he had asked anyone else, he would be in a world of pain right now," the blond shot back in return, and neither Carlos nor Jill, oddly, doubted it.

"I'm just glad that's finally out of the way," the soldier said, wrapping an arm around Jill's waist and flashing Alice a smile.

"Did you really expect me to say no?" Alice asked with a raised eyebrow, unable to keep a smirk from her lips. Luckily, for Carlos, he was saved from answering by the appearance of another guest.

"Chris!" Jill exclaimed, moving past Carlos and Alice to embrace the large, burly man that had come through the door. Alice watched the man with interest before she gave Carlos a questionable look.

"He's Jill's partner. Works for S.T.A.R.S." the soldier quickly answered. Alice simply nodded in understanding before Jill grabbed the man's hand and pulled him forward to make introductions.

"Chris, this is Alice. She's Carlos' best friend," she said sweetly, even as the other man politely offered her his hand. She accepted and shook, returning his smile. She could tell from the twinkle in his eyes that the man had the complete wrong idea about her.

"Pleasure to meet you," he said, his voice deep and husky. Alice simply lifted an eyebrow, and the corners of her lips twitched.

"You too, Chris," she said, flashing him a charming smile and watching him blush and smile in return. Alice couldn't resist having a little fun with the man, and he was obviously smitten. If she had known a low cut top and some hooker boots could bring her this much amusement, she would...okay, she probably wouldn't wear them more often, but she still stored the thought away for later.

She didn't miss the way Chris' thumb brushed against her knuckles before he withdrew her hand, and her smile only grew. Oh, this was going to be too fun. Inwardly, Carlos chuckled at what his fiance had inadvertently done.

In the next thirty minutes, more and more guest arrived. Some of them Alice knew, some of them she didn't. The ones she didn't she just assumed were Jill's friends, but she was still polite when they approached her. Unsurprisingly, almost every guy in the entire place had come up to her at least once and asked to buy her a drink or...other things, but each time, Alice refused, giving them lame excuses or flashing the fake ring on her finger. For once, she was thankful for the gaudy jewel, and it sent more than one man running with his tail between his legs.

_Well_, she thought, _Spence is good for one thing. _

After sending another man on his way, she was once again approached, though by someone a little more welcome. Chris looked good in his dark blue, faded jeans and yellow shirt, if Alice said so herself. If she was into his gender, she might actually have a thing for him. He was holding two beers, one in each hand, and flashed her a charming smile. She smiled in return as he leaned up against the bar next to her, passing her one of the beers.

"Saw you send another one packing and decided you needed a rescue," he said teasingly, taking a swig from his bottle.

Alice smiled slightly and followed suite, taking a deeper drink than the man. "Yeah, thanks. I would have appreciated that about an hour ago," She said, her eyes scanning the crowd to spot Carlos standing with Jill.

"So, how long have you known Jill," the man asked, noticing the direction of her gaze.

"Not long. It wasn't until after she started dating Carlos that I met her."

"Ahh," he stated with a nod, taking another swig before returning his gaze to the blond. Damn, was that woman hot! He eyed her voluptuous curves, the roundness of her black-clad hips, her perky breasts and silky white skin. God, how he wanted to know what that skin felt beneath his hands, or what her breast taste like benea- the clearing of the blond's throat broke him from his trance and he realized, with a furious blush, that he had been staring.

"Like what you see," Alice's voice was teasing, and she couldn't resist the smile that curved her lips at the red in the man's cheeks that grew by the second.

"Sorry...got a little carried away," he fumbled at an excuse, almost draining the bottle with his next drink.

"I'll say," she said with a smirk. "So, Chris, how do you like working with S.T.A.R.S." Alice felt bad for the poor guy, and tried to give him a chance to redeem himself. He gladly took the opportunity, and began narrating with enthusiasm.

"Oh, I love it. There's nothing like it in the world. Working with Jill is great, too. I really couldn't ask for a better partner. Carlos is a lucky man," Chris replied with a glance toward the black-haired woman, which didn't go unnoticed by Alice. Neither was, for that matter, the look in his eyes or the tone in his voice.

_Interesting_, she thought, though any comment she would have been made was interrupted by the approach of Rain. The blond smiled, quite surprised that the Hispanic woman had stayed away this long, considering that she had been watching her ever since she had arrived ten minutes ago.

"_Damn _Alice!" the soldier commented with appreciation as soon as she was within earshot, eying the other woman with unhidden desire. Chris remained silent with slight shock, watching the interaction between the two with curiosity.

Alice returned her glance, smiling as she noticed the other woman's outfit. Rain was dressed in black jeans, along with a black, long-sleeve dress shirt, complete with combat boots peeking from beneath the hem of her pants. Her black hair was pulled back into a tight pony tail, and, perched atop her head rested a pair of black-rimmed sunglasses. All in all, the look was _so _Rain, thought Alice had to admit the other woman looked good in black.

"Hello to you too, Rain," she said in reply, smirking as the woman's eyes continued to move over her body.

"Just when I thought you couldn't possibly get any hotter, you go and wear something like that," she commented, still unable to tear her gaze away. The S.T.A.R.S. agent at Alice's side blushed, which seemed to becoming a pattern around the blond, but that, too, was unnoticed.

"You're not too bad yourself," Alice shot back before taking another swig of her beer and flashing Rain a wink. "Now, if you're done undressing me with your eyes...?"

"Not nearly. And I would much rather use my hands." Her comment elicited a chuckle from Alice, who sparred Chris a glance. At his shocked expression, she lightly nudged his arm. His eyes flashed up, only meeting the blond's for a moment before they looked away. This served to break him from his trance, as well as alert Rain to his presence. The Hispanic woman turned to look at the man with curiosity.

"Rain, this is Chris. He works with Jill. Chris, this is Rain," Alice said, sparring the woman from asking, and the man from offering.

"So, you got the hots for Alice too, huh?" Rain asked, straight and to the point, giving the man the elevator eyes. Chris, if possible, went ten shades redder, and Alice offered him an apologizing smile. "Hate to say this, pal, but you are so barking up the wrong tree."

"Yeah, I kinda...got that," Chris said with a slight frown.

"It's not that you're not a great guy," Alice added quickly, giving her companion a soft pat on the arm. "If you were a chick, I would be all over you." Oh god, did she just say that?

He gave her a smile for the effort, and took another swig from his beer. "Somehow, that's not comforting." Rain, unfortunately, chose that moment to intrude.

"You just don't have her kind of equipment, If you know what I mean," the woman said with a smug smile. Chris, unfortunately for him, chose that exact moment to take a drink from his bottle, which he promptly spewed up. He coughed and sputtered a few times, and Alice offered him a pat on the back. Thankfully, he was saved from having to reply as the door to the reception hall opened, and another guest appeared.

"Claire! Over here!" He called, his voice raspy as he flashed his would-be-savior a desperate look. He was rewarded for his plea as the woman promptly made her way over.

Alice had never laid her eyes on a more beautiful woman in her life. She was wearing a sage green dress which fell to her knees and, though the dress itself wasn't tight, the sheer fabric clung to her curves in a way that left nothing to the imagination. Her long, fiery red hair was loose around her shoulders, and she had legs that went on for miles. Decorating her petite feet were black three inch heels, not unlike Jill's, and she held a small black clutch in her hand.

As the woman approached, she quickly stepped forward and gave Chris a hug, and Alice couldn't resist a stab of jealousy. Were they together? If he had a woman like that in his bed, surly Chris wouldn't possibly have been flirting with her. Unless...he was a player, but he certainty didn't seem like he was. Besides, why would he cheat on a woman like that! There had to be another reason for the hug...Luckily, she was rescued from her self-inflicted torture as Chris turned to introduce them.

"Alice, this is my sister Claire. Claire, this is Alice," the man said, purposely leaving out Rain, much to her annoyance. Claire offered the blond a radiant smile, and Alice fought back a blush at her continuously growing arousal.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," the redhead said, offering Alice a hand.

_Oh God_, Alice thought frantically, _her voice is almost as sexy as she is_. She quickly moved to take the other woman's hand in her own, reveling in the feel of the redhead's silky smooth skin against her palm. At the contact, however, she noted the heat between her legs go up a notch, or four. Alice was sure she had never been more aroused in her life.

"P-Pleasure's all mine" she stammered, still grasping the woman's hand even though traditionally was now the time her to break the contact. _Oh fuck! You stammered! Now she's going to think you're a complete idiot! What the hell happened to calm, collected Alice! _She had never yelled at herself so much, either. Claire, for her part, simply raised an eyebrow at the blond's continued contact, but didn't withdraw her hand.

"And here I thought I was surely going to be the most beautiful woman here..." Claire said, running her eyes along the woman's form. "Seem's I was wrong."

The second the redhead's eyes moved along her body, Alice was sure she was about to explode.

Alice's smitten expression didn't go unnoticed by Rain. Instantly, she nudged the blond, causing the two woman's interlocking hands to fall apart. The blond immediately found herself missing the warmth, but figured that taking the redhead's hand back would just be creepy.

"Need to go to the bathroom, Alice?" Rain said, earning a death glare from the blond. _Oh shit_. The redhead's amused chuckle only served to make thing worse, and Rain immediately knew she was in deep trouble. _I'm gonna pay for that later. _Alice had a wrath unlike any she had ever seen before, and Rain knew without saying that she would be on shit duty in the hive for months.

Chris, who seemed to notice his mistake by calling his sister over, quickly took advantage of the situation. "Well, If you'll excuse us..." He said, lightly grasping Claire's arm and pulling her to the side. Alice felt a sharp stab of disappointment, and she shot Rain another angry glare before returning her gaze to the retreating redhead. Her disappointment abated in the smallest degree when Claire looked over her shoulder and passed the blond a radiant smile and wink.

"What the fuck was that for!" Alice turned with a rage on the Hispanic as soon as Chris and Claire were out of earshot, earning a few shocked glances from the people closest to them. She was unsure as to why she was so angry...Sure, Rain had embarrassed her, but she hadn't exactly been on her game. If anything, she had embarrassed herself.

"What!" Rain shot back, tossing up her hands in accusation. "You really think Red was going to go for you! You got another thing comin!"

"What the fuck would you know! You're just jealous!" she accused, her ice-blue eyes flashing dangerously and her fists clenched at her sides.

Rain, God help her, knew when it was best to leave her boss alone, and she knew this was such a moment. She knew enough to be adequately afraid of Alice, and she had a suspicion that the fight might very well come to blows if she didn't back down. So, it was with a glare that she tossed her hands up in defeat and stormed off, leaving Alice alone amidst a group of gawking onlookers, each with a look of shock on their face. Immediately, Alice turned to the bar and took a seat, waving over a hesitant bar-tender and ordering a shot of tequila. She wasn't alone long, however, and she didn't have to look over to see who had come to join her.

"Alice, what just happened?" Carlos asked, his voice heavy with concern. He placed a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder, which Alice promptly shook off, just in time for the bartender to return with her drink. Without hesitation, and picked up and glass and downed it's contents.

"Another," she growled, slamming the small glass down onto the counter. The bartender quickly scuttled to fill her request, even as Carlos took a seat beside her.

"Alice..." his tone held a hint of warning, but Alice ignored it as she once more downed her next shot. She gave the bar tender the go-ahead to keep them coming, but Carlos had other ideas. "That will be it, Thanks," he said, even as the bartender looked to Alice for confirmation. "That will be all." The soldier's tone this time around offered no room for argument, and the server took the hint and walked away.

"What the fuck did you do that for," Alice snarled, turning her patented death glare at the man. Unlike Rain, however, he was unaffected by the expression.

"Because you won't fucking answer me. What happened." The venom of the words weren't reflected in his voice, however, and he once more placed a comforting hand on his friends back. Alice sighed in defeat, dropping her eyes to the glass she was twirling around idly in her hands. She knew Carlos wouldn't let up until she spilled the beans, so she, reluctantly, began to narrate.

"She said that?" Carlos questioned with unconcealed annoyance and disbelief, almost unable to believe that Rain had done something so utterly stupid.

"Yep."

"That bitch. I'm going to go have a few words with her," he said, standing from his seat and moving toward the corner that Rain had occupied with her sulking. Alice knew how protective Carlos was, and she couldn't help the stab of pleasure she felt as she thought of the tongue lashing Rain was about to get, and not the kind she wanted, either. _Good. She deserves it_, Alice thought with malicious delight, almost tempted to risk a glance in the pair's direction. She was stopped by a voice, however, a voice that had her heart hammering in her chest.

"Mind if I join you?"

Alice turned to look at the redheaded goddess that had walked into her life, and flashed the only smile she could muster. "Of coarse not," she said, indicating the seat next to her. Claire promptly accepted, and leaned a bit closer to the blond.

"Hey, I'm sorry about the fight between you and your friend. I hope it's not my fault," Claire said softly, the concern in her voice evident. Alice looked up into the greenest eyes she had ever seen, almost the exact shade of the woman's dress.

"Hah. I'd hardly call her a friend," she said a litter harsher than she intended. She immediately passed her companion a shy, embarrassed look, but the redhead took it all in stride. "Hey, I'm sorry for about...earlier. At risk of sounding like a horny teenager, you're the most beautiful woman I've ever met." Alice's comment earned a flattered chuckle from the redhead, and the blond delighted at hearing it.

"At risk of sounding like a horny adult, you're pretty hot yourself," she replied, reaching out a hand and resting it on the blond's. At the instant of the contact, Alice's heart sunk into the pit of her stomach, and her breath caught in her throat. "Too bad your married." Alice was surprised to hear something like disappointment in the other woman's voice.

"Huh...?" It took a moment for the blond to register the other woman's words, and then it hit her. She was wearing her wedding ring. Silently, she cursed herself. _Stupid idiot. Why didn't you take the damn thing off. _Her comment, however, earned a raised eyebrow and a smirk from the other woman. Without speaking, her eyes fell to the ring before lifting back to Alice's eyes, the silent question unspoken.

"Oh...that. No, I'm not married..." Claire tilted her head to the side, and her brow furrowed in confusion. "I mean...Not really. It's like...a...Uh, it's hard to explain. But I swear I'm not...not that you would care if you...you know..." _GOD DAMMIT! What the fuck is wrong with you! _If Alice's mind had corporeal form, she was sure she would be beating the hell out of it by now.

"If I...what?" Claire asked with a small smile, watching the blond squirm with amusement. It was adorable, to say the least, and something told Claire that the woman sitting next to her was not one that was at a loss for words often. Alice's next comment confirmed her suspicions.

"I'm sorry...I'm not usually this...weird. You probably think I'm a freak by now," Alice stated with a short, mirthless laugh.

"Not at all. It's kinda cute, actually. I didn't know I had such an effect on women." Only Claire could ever get away with calling Alice cute.

"Cute," Alice scoffed with amusement, "That's certainty not something I ever recall being called." Lightly, Alice turned her hands under the other woman's, taking the petite appendage in her own. Little by little, the pair had slowly been leaning closer and closer to one another, and the blond suddenly found their closeness almost too much to take.

"How about adorable, then," Claire commented with a smile, her eyes flicking to their interlocked hands as Alice traced invisible patterns on her palm. She resisted the urge to close her eyes against the sensation the other woman was creating in her body.

"That's a first too," Alice replied as she played with the redhead's hand, noting the effect it was having. She resisted the urge to smirk and instead opted for a smile. _At least I'm not the only one that's effected by this. _

"You know..." Claire began, the tone in her voice leaving no more room for playful banter, "I've never kissed a married woman before." In an instant, her green eyes were burning, and it was all Alice could do not to jump her right then and there.

"Good thing I'm not actually married, then," she replied in her own husky drawl, unwittingly leaning just a bit closer. With the closing space between then, it wouldn't take much for her to lean forward and capture the other woman's lips, but something told her that wouldn't be well received. Not that the woman would reject it...in fact, Alice was quite certain the embrace would be welcome. No, it was one pissed off Hispanic and a clearly over-protective brother that Alice was worried about.

"Too bad. That takes some of the thrill out of it," the redhead replied with a teasing smile, and both women felt a similar chill go up their spines. "Do you...wanna get out of here?" Abruptly, Alice stood, grabbing the other woman's hand and pulling her instantly toward the door.

"Do I ever."

Alice had been right about one thing...she did get laid.


	2. Just Call Me Claire

**Disclaimer;**I do not own RE, their characters (though I wish I did...), their plot, theme or names, and I do not claim ownership to them. However, I DO claim ownership to my writing, so please don't steal =)

**Authors Note;**Okay, I got hungry for some Claire x Alice action. I'm weak. This is going to be a loooong chapter, too, so buckle down and prepare for some good readin! Oh, and don't forget to review! Or I'll cancel the plans I have for the next installment ;D

For Avienda, first of all you're awesome for being my only reviewer in this story (and you're a pretty awesome reader in general) Second of all, I didn't want to pick it up right where I left off, but I couldn't leave you hanging! So, there's a surprise locked away especially for yoou!

**Rating;**M for MATURE. If you aint' 18, tuck tail and run little kiddies!

**Pair;**Alice x Claire

_The wedding. Oh shit, the wedding!_ It was her first thought as she stirred in the oh-so-cozy bed, and she hated that. Last night, she had been a nervous wreck, and she wasn't even the one getting married! Hell, she hadn't been this nervous on her _own_ wedding day, even if it had been fake. She sat bolt upright, passing a panicked glance to the alarm clock perched on the night stand on her side of the bed. 9:07, it read in bright red block numbers, giving Alice cause to relax. She fell back onto the pillow-top with a soft 'umph', her fears of being late placated.

That done, she had time to revel in the delicate, pale arm wrapped around her waist. Her eyes followed that arm, trailing up the silky smooth skin, lingering for just a moment on the defined muscles of a mechanic before passing to a perfect shoulder and back. Tendrils of bright red hair decorated the back of the pure perfection made flesh that lay beside her, and she couldn't resist leaning forward to place a light kiss on the skin of her companion, prompting the other to stir with a groan.

"What time is it?" A groggy voice asked, causing Alice's lips to curve as one kiss soon turned to many. She just couldn't help herself...

"Little past nine," she replied softly, even as the woman beside her turned and gave her the look of death.

"It's much too early for this, Alice," Claire scolded, her voice still sleep-ridden as she lifted one delicate hand to dig the crust from her eyes.

"No it's not," The blond said nonchalantly, moving her kisses from the redhead's shoulder blade to her collar bone. This seemed to wake Claire up almost instantly, and Alice felt those same fingers snake in her hair. The younger woman's pulse sped up under her lips, and she smiled against the flesh she ravaged.

"Oh yes it is. Especially with how late someone had me up last night," the woman commented, the annoyance gone from her voice to be replaced with thinly veiled desire. The blond's only reply was another smile, and more kisses. "Alice, you're insatiable." She could pick up the amusement in the redhead's voice, and she ceased her kissing to glance at her lover. Green eyes held fastly to blue, and the mischievous smile Alice passed her had Claire's stomach in knots.

"Are you complaining?" Far from it. In fact, Claire was just glad that Alice was the one jumping _her _all the time...it saved her the trouble of having to always be the horny one. Claire wanted Alice every bit as much as Alice wanted her, and just as frequently. One thing could be said for the couple; they had an amazing libido.

"I wasn't until you woke me up at the but-crack of dawn for a little lovin' " Claire commented dryly, though she knew her bluff was easily called. Alice could _always_ tell when she was lying.

The blond simply chuckled and returned to her ministrations, much to Claire's delight. She leaned her head back into the pillow and closed her eyes, her hands still firmly fisted in Alice's hair. An unwilling moan passed her lips as Alice moved her very talented mouth lower, taking her already perky nipping in between her lips and twirling her tongue around the bud. Alice took the moan as a sign that her attention was, indeed, very welcome, and joined her hands into the teasing, splaying her fingers over the redhead's bare stomach.

"Fuck...Alice," Claire whimpered in between gasps, turning to look at the alarm clock. It read 9:15. Not good. "As much as I _so_ don't want to interrupt you," she tried again, a shiver crawling up her spine as Alice chuckled against her skin. "You _really_ have to stop." God, it was almost physical pain forcing those words from her lips.

"No I don't," Alice said softly, moving her lips to the valley between Claire's breasts, her lips resuming it's train of kisses.

"Oh _God_!" Claire gasped, unconsciously arching into Alice's attentions. "You really, _really_ do." She repressed a whimper of regret as Alice's lips pulled away from her skin, and their eyes met.

"Why?" Alice drawled seductively, giving Claire even more cause to regret her news.

"Because..." she began, trailing off hesitantly. "Because Chris is going to be here any minute, and I still have to get ready..." Her comment served to break through Alice's desire-filled haze, and she managed to look slightly guilty.

"Why didn't you say that before," the blond muttered, bringing a soft chuckle from the redhead.

"Well I was a little busy," she teased, pulling the older woman up to firmly kiss her on the lips. Alice melted into the kiss, pressing against the other woman for just a second before pulling away.

"I would suggest a shower," Alice said, eying the redhead with mock distaste, earning a heavy slap on her bare arm.

"What exactly is that supposed to mean!" Claire exclaimed indignantly, even as Alice's lips twitched, betraying her amusement.

"Oh, nothing," She said innocently, before kissing Claire once more. "Better make it a cold one." There was no mistaking the teasing tone, and Claire couldn't resist a smile.

"I have you to thank for that." With that, she slipped from the bed and moved to the bathroom, noting the pressure and heat between her legs as she did so. Alice was right...a cold shower was _just_ what she needed.

Alice watched the gentle sway of her lovers bare hips as she disappeared into the bathroom. A few seconds passed before Alice heard the spray of the shower running, and she lingered in the bed just a few more moments before she, too, slipped out and headed into the bathroom, pausing in front of the vanity mirror. She only looked at her reflection for a few seconds before she came to the conclusion that she needed a shower too. Though she usually didn't care about her appearance, she didn't think Jill would be very happy with her if she showed up with greasy hair and smelling like dried spit. At least she could blame Claire for the second one.

With a devious smile, a plan formed in Alice's mind. Without another second, she slipped into the shower, just in time to see a very shocked Claire, her hands buried in her hair generously lathering. "Alice?" she questioned, just about to ask another question before Alice pressed their lips together. Claire's hands fell from her hair and wrapped around the blond's neck to return the kiss with a fever.

"I'll scrub your back if you scrub mine," Alice said softly as soon as they parted, her lips curving in a soft smile that Claire answered.

"No deal," the redhead teased, returning her hands to her hair as Alice mock pouted.

"Fine." After a bit of shuffling, Alice took a turn under the water, wetting her short hair before she grabbed the shampoo bottle and squeezed a glob into her hand. She promptly ran them through the blond locks, barely getting a good lather before she felt another pair of hands join her own. From behind, Claire massaged her lover's scalp, her nails occasionally scraping against the skin. Alice leaned back into her with a soft sigh, her own hands falling to rest of the redhead's hips, reveling in the feel of that wonderful, shapely body against her own.

"Time to rinse," Claire whispered in the blond's ear after a few more moments, trailing her hands down Alice's back to her waist. The older woman obeyed the command, once more tilting her head back into the water to let the lather rinse away. When she opened her eyes, Claire was standing in front of her with a rather pleased looking smile, and a bar of soap in her hands.

The two took many more minutes to wash one another, exchanging the soap every now and again as their hands ran along one anothers bodies, leaving a trail of suds behind. After five months of dating, the pair knew each others body as well as they knew their own, and skilled hands easily mapped each curve with the ease of experience. After all, Alice had practically moved in with Claire, and they spent every moment they weren't working together. Most of that time just so happen to be cloth-less.

Each was much more through in their washing than necessary, but, if asked, they would simply pass it off as wanting to make sure the other was simply as clean as possible. The lost themselves in the feel of their lover's skin underneath their hands, each sporting an expression of complete concentration. At least, until a call from the other room sounded.

"You really shouldn't have given him a key," Alice said softly, a frustrated sigh following.

"You know, that's funny. He says the same thing about you," Claire pointed out with a smile, peeking her head out of the shower curtain to call to her brother. "In the shower! Be out in a minute!" She could barely make out his grumble of acceptance, and she turned back to her lover just in time to see Alice standing under the stream of water, running a hand over her naked body to wash away the suds. "Hey," Claire protested, setting the bar of soap back onto the caddy that hung behind her. "I wasn't done with that." Her eyes made an elevator motion across Alice's body, and the blond simply smiled wickedly.

"Yeah, well neither way I, but you made _me_ stop," she shot back, referring to their possible early morning fun. Claire simply smiled in return and pushed the now soap-less blond away from the water. She quickly washed her own body before shutting off the water and pulling back the curtain. Alice grasped two towels, handing her one before wrapping the other around her damp body and stepping out, heading directly into the bathroom. Claire followed.

The pair were dry and dressed in a matter of moments, Alice in a simple pair of jeans and plain black t-shirt, complete with combat boots while Claire sported jeans and a worn ACDC t-shirt that was a size, or two, too big. Alice had a sneaking suspicion that the shirt had once belonged to Chris, but she didn't comment. She was too focused on noticing how beautiful the redhead looked in such simple clothes. Then again, Claire looked beautiful in anything. She was especially stunning in nothing at all.

The redhead seemed to notice Alice's wistful smile as she watched her dress, and she immediately closed the distance between them. "You know, if you keep watching me like that I might just have to wipe that look off your face."

"Please, do," the blond said with a smirk, leaning in to capture Claire's lips before pulling away and giving her a curious look. "How long will you be with Chris?"

"Just until around noon. Then I have to go meet with Jill and do last minute 'maid of honor' stuff," Claire said, mocking her title by elevating her pitch in the slightest at the phrase. "Unfortunately, that will last until the ceremony, so I won't see you until then."

It was exactly what Alice didn't want to hear, and her frown was evidence of that. She gave a sigh of disappointment before saying, "Fine. I suppose I'll just have to finish what I started later, then."

"Later," Claire promised with a smile before turning away from the blond and moving toward the door. Alice followed, snaking her hand into the redhead's and threading their fingers together. She loved the little digs at Chris. It was one of her favorite things watching his face fall whenever he saw Alice doing anything intimately with his sister, like holding her hand or resting a palm on her back.

And, the second the pair walked into the room and Chris turned toward them, his eyes darted to their hands and his face, indeed, fell. Alice couldn't resist a pleased smirk. She knew Chris didn't approve of her relationship with Claire, and Alice contributed this entirely to the fact that she had rejected his advances in favor of his sister. They had a less than friendly competition going on, each always trying to outdo the other, much to Claire's annoyance.

"It's too early for that," the redhead said with a pointed look toward Chris. When the man continued his glowering, Claire sighed. "You know, you two are something else. You were getting along great until I showed up at that party, and now all you two can do is give each other the look of death!" The redhead threw her hands up in exasperation, effectively shaking loose the blond's.

"Alice is my girlfriend, Chris! You're going to have to get over the fact that your little sis got the hot chick for once!" Chris' expression at this was distinctly unpleasant, and Alice's smirk was just a tad bigger than usual. "And you!" she said, whirling on the blond. "Chris is my brother! He's not going anywhere!"

"Hey!" Alice was immediately on the defense, holding her hands up in surrender. "He's the one that got all pissy all of a sudden! I never had a problem with the guy!"

"Well I'm sick of it! Either you two learn to get along or..." At that, she ran out of words. She simply had no threat that was good enough. She couldn't leave Alice, and she couldn't very well disown her brother.

"Or...?" Alice asked with a playful smile, earning one of Claire's patented death glares and a snicker from Chris.

"Or I'm cutting you off, Missy." At this, the blond's face fell, and Chris gave a partially startled cough, which brought his sisters attention squarely on him. "And I'm going to tell Jill about all the times you've said her name in your sleep!" Alice couldn't stop the roar of laughter even if she wanted to, but an internal reminder of her lover's threat quickly cut her amusement short.

Claire wore an all-too-pleased smirk, knowing she had finally one-upped them both. Chris and Alice traded grudging glances, both knowing they had to call a truce or pay the price, and it was a price neither wanted to pay.

"Lets get going," the cop said after a moment, turning toward the door. Alice took the moment to pull Claire into a parting kiss, running her hands lightly along the redhead's hips. Claire returned the kiss, her anger and threats forgotten as soon as the blond pulled her close.

"I'll see you tonight," the redhead whispered against her lover's lips, earning a small smile.

"Alice, can you please stop moles-" Chris stopped short as he recalled his sister's threat, knowing full well she would live up to it. And the glare she shot him completely supported his conclusion. He held up his hands in defeat, and opened the apartment door. "I'll be outside."

"Tonight," Alice whispered as soon as Chris was gone, leaning in for another kiss. Before her lips could make contact, though, Claire pulled from her arms and passed her a mischievous smile.

"You'll just have to wait for that," the redhead teased, grabbing her red leather jacket from the coat rack beside the door and slipping out, leaving Alice alone, craving another kiss, and needing another cold shower.

* * *

><p>Carlos was just as nervous as she was. The ceremony was in T minus thirty minutes, and the pair of them were already dressed looking for ways to pass the time. At least, Alice was. The soldier was pacing, decked out in his tux and muttering something. Alice couldn't make out every word, but she could catch a few, including 'what', 'I', and 'thinking'. She figured it was time, as best 'man' and best friend, to step in.<p>

"Okay man, you gotta calm down. You're freaking me out," the blond said, stepping in front of the man and holding out her hands. The soldier immediately ceased his pacing, and stared at Alice in silent shock.

"What was I _thinking_, Alice! I...I can't _do_ this!" her best friend was near hysterics. Without a second thought, the blond flung out a hand, bitch slapping the man across his face. It seemed to be just what he needed. Carlos snapped out of his trance, flashing Alice a grateful look. She would have returned the smile with one of her own, but she was too busy panicking about the red hand-print that was slowly appearing on the man's tanned cheek.

Jill was going to fucking _kill_ her.

Now wasn't the time to freak out...hopefully, the mark would fade before the wedding. She could only hope. Otherwise, she was as good as dead. She just hoped she had a chance to tell Claire she loved her before the wrath of Jill put her six feet under.

"Listen, Carlos," Alice said softly, realizing that her friend needed her at the moment. "You love Jill. I _know_ you love Jill. You _can_ do this, because I know you. I know you better than anyone in the world, and I know you want to marry her more than _anything_. So snap the _fuck_ out of it, pull yourself together, and lets do this!" Alice didn't do pep talks well. But, luckily, it was enough for the man. He flashed her a charming smile and pulled her into a tight hug.

"Thanks, best man," he teased as he pulled away from the woman. Alice promptly straightened her tux, clearing her throat in an act of dismissal from the embrace. Carlos promptly moved to the mirror, and Alice felt panic set in.

"Holy shit!" the man exclaimed as he caught sigh of the red hand-print on his face. Alice blushed and managed to look incredibly guilty, even as Carlos turned toward her. She expected anger, she expected rage, she expected cuss words that would make a sailor blush. What she didn't expect was another smile.

"You are _so_ dead, you know that," Carlos said with a chuckle, and the blond didn't need to ask why. Once Jill caught sight of that hand print, she was defiantly dead, and they both knew it. Alice could only hope that the 'I had to slap your fiance so he would stop freaking out' excuse would work. At the least, it might convince Jill to make her death a quick one.

"Yeah, I know," the blond muttered, running a hand through her hair.

A sharp knock brought both their attention to the door just in time to see it open, revealing Yuri and Nikolai, Carlos' other two groomsmen. The ever charming Nikolai flashed Alice an ever charming smile before his attention moved toward Carlos, who Yuri just so happened to be staring at with an open mouth. After a second of surprised shock, the blond soldier burst out laughing.

"Oh my God! Jill is going to tear you apart!" The former of the two soldiers commented, the words sprouting a thick Russian accent. Alice's answering sigh was one of complete exasperation and frustration. Was _everyone_ going to spell out her obvious doom! Yuri took this as his opportunity to step forward and placed a comforting hand on the woman's shoulder, passing her an understanding look. But Alice's sharp eyes could see the humor sparkling beneath his blue eyes.

"He was freaking out?" the Russian asked, to which Alice promptly nodded. "You better hope that's a good enough excuse for this one, boss." It seemed the man could no longer contain his amusement because, like Nikolai, he busted out laughing. Alice narrowed her eyes and seriously considered putting them both on shit duty in the hive. That would wipe those smiles off their faces...Alice had a wrath like no other, except, of coarse, Claire.

And she would have, had the clearing of Carlos' throat alerted the man that he was very much aware of her thoughts. Was she that easy to read? Internally, she made a note to herself to work on her poker face...(she had a feeling that in another life, she had one hell of one). Yes, she would have defiantly put them both on shit-duty, if she hadn't already promised Carlos that she would do no such thing. His wedding, and more importantly, his reception was a time to cut loose, and his two Russian friends wouldn't very well do that if they knew their boss was watching their every move like a hawk and making embarrassing notes for later.

So basically, she was screwed. She had no way of threatening them what-so-ever. Unless she counted physically beating them, which was a possibility. She was sure she could easily take both men, at the same time if she had to.

Alice grumbled under her breath, her face taking on a shadowed look just before Carlos clapped her on the back. "Wipe that frown off your face. I'm getting married!" he declared happily, leaning in just a bit so only the blond could hear him. "Plus, I've seen Claire in her brides maids dress," he commented with a mischievous glint, the comment meant to make her jealous more than to brighten her mood. She, however, had one better.

"Yeah, and I've seen Jill in her wedding dress," she commented with an even more pleased smirk, the angry red welt on the side of his face already starting to fade in the slightest. At her comment, however, the soldier's smile fell, and he knew the woman had won. Smartly, he decided to change the subject.

"Who would have though it," he began, looking toward their reflection in the mirror across the room. The pair looked good in tuxes, that was for sure. "Both of us, the two greatest womanizers the world had ever seen, tied down to one woman." The way the man's voice went from wistful and dreamy to something akin to disappointment. Alice couldn't resist a smile, and grabbed the soldier's arm.

"You're just jealous because mine is prettier than yours." Alice danced lithely away from the heavy hand swung in her direction, a mocking smirk curving her lips. Nikolai and Yuri decided they just didn't want to know what they were missing, and went back to to their own riveting conversation which happened to include rather high bets on who would 'land' the hottest chick.

Alice risked a glance at her watch, seeing it was about time to report to the alter, and glanced at the boys. "Alright, guys. It's gettin' that time. Lets get a move on," she ordered with ease, forcing away the panic that once more threatened to encroach upon her. She moved to the mirror quickly, adjusting the flower in her chest pocket and straightening a piece of hair. She wanted to look perfect, and it wasn't for Jill and Carlos.

After the men had done the same, Alice turned toward them, giving each the once over to make sure everything looked fine before giving an approving nod. She really wasn't the best person to be checking for out of place threads, or crooked flowers, but a threat from her better half had her making sure that everything at least looked perfect...perfect in her opinion. Then again, her opinion of perfection was completely different from Claire's.

The group milled as one toward the door, looking like nothing more than a group of penguins. Carlos was out first, followed by Alice with Nikolai and Yuri bringing up the rear. It was the order they would walk down the isle, only backwards, and it was just how they had rehearsed the night before. Up some steps and a left turn led them directly to the doors opening into the church, where the guest and priest waited. Jackie and Rebecca, Jill's other two bridesmaids, was already waiting, flowers in hand and a wide smile on their faces.

Alice took a second to study the pair who were Jill's only two girl friends, with the exception of Claire. Jackie had been Jill's college roommate, while Rebecca worked on STARS with the raven-haired woman. Both were dressed in simple deep red dresses, both floor length and alike in their plainness. Alice smiled; Jill always had liked keeping things simple. Yuri and Nikolai moved toward them almost instantly, and both girls gave flattered giggled as the two handsome Russians flirted. Alice, however, could care less. Her eyes were darting down the hall, looking almost desperately for Claire. It had been hours since she had seen the redhead, and it had been hours too long.

The sound of a door opening and closing caught her attention, and she moved her gaze instantly toward the source. What she saw, however, caused her jaw to drop. Claire stepped into the hall, taking a few steps before she noticed the blond watching her and paused. The two took a few moments to stare at one another, and Alice couldn't help but be shocked by what she saw. Yes, she had seen Claire in dresses many times...like the night they had met, and the few times they had gone on dates. But no dress the redhead had ever put on came close to the one she wore now.

The piece was sheer strapless, the deep red fabric, which matched the color of the other two bridesmaids, almost matched the woman's hair exactly. It hung to the floor, and peeking just beneath, Alice could see her lover's feet encased in heels that matched the color of the dress. The top hem was encrusted in an elegant rope of jewels, and just at the valley of the woman's breasts the fabric was cut in a small 'V'. There was a broach resting off to the right on the redhead's petite waist, perfectly accentuating her delicious curves. Her dress, unlike the others, was far from plain, and it had Claire written all over it.

Claire's hair was as straight and beautifully silky as always, and absolutely no make-up what-so-ever marred her beautiful skin. Claire didn't need make up to be gorgeous. She just was. A natural blush tinted her perfect cheeks, and her lips had just the barest about of clear lip gloss coating them, making them look shiny and particularly kissable. Just looking at her partner, Alice felt like nothing more than a bum on the street, just a pale shadow of the beauty that was Claire. But, she was completely fine with that. She would forever be content to stand in Claire's shadow.

Their eyes roved along one another's bodies for only a few moments before they met, and the pair moved as one to each other. They paused just a foot from one another, once more taking a second to let their eyes study the other. Driven by the need to touch and feel and be close to her, Alice lifted a hand and lightly brushed a thumb against Claire's cheek.

"You look..." the blond began, her voice barely a whisper. However, she soon found that she could find no word in the whole of her extensive vocabulary to accurately describe just how her lover looked. Claire seemed to recognize this and flashed the older woman a soft smile. The creases on the side of the redhead's lips when she smiled always sent a flutter into the pit of Alice's stomach, and they didn't fail to do so now.

"You look, too," Claire said in reply, leaning forward to lightly press her lips against Alice's in the softest of kisses. She returned it, careful to keep the embrace carefully controlled. She was already ready to jump the redhead where she stood, and making out with her was the quickest way to make exactly that happen. She, with some effort, pulled away, her blue eyes locking with the other woman's green.

_A Goddess. She looks like a Goddess._ With a smile, Alice remembered that this was her first thought as soon as she had lain eyes on the redhead, and it proved no less true now. _Aphrodite should be jealous as hell._ The pair's moment, however, was interrupted as Carlos released a sharp whistle, effectively drawing their attention back toward him. Alice blushed as she realized that all eyes were focused on her and Claire, Nicolai and Yuri looking way too pleased. Alice knew she would never hear the end of it...

"If you two are...done undressing each other with your eyes, we're ready," her best friend said with a smirk, earning a glare from Claire. The man visibly balked, and the blond couldn't resist a smile. She had one hell of a glare, but Claire's could make your heart stop with it's intensity.

Alice felt a petite hand slip into her own, and without another word Claire pulled her toward the group. When they got close enough, Claire seemed to notice the large red mark on the side of the soldier's face. She said nothing, but the glance she passed Alice told the blond that she knew exactly where the welt had come from. She knew she would catch hell for it later. Jill and Claire had always been close, ever since Jill and Chris had been assigned partners, and Alice could tell that the redhead was incredibly protective of her best friend..perhaps even more so than she was of Alice herself.

And nothing was going to mess up her best friend's wedding. That included large red hand prints on the groom's face.

At an unspoken cue, the music began , and the group immediately scrambled into their positions. Rebecca and Yuri were first, followed by Jackie and Nikolai. Alice and Claire would come behind, and Carlos would follow them, and, later, Jill would appear as a vision in white. Over her shoulder, the blond passed a once-again nervous looking groom a smile. "Hope you're ready for this, old man." Carlos simply passed her a smile which, in his nervous state, looked more like a grimace. He was simply too wired to speak.

The first pair walked down the isle, getting about halfway before the second followed. As soon as they reached the alter, they split apart, each moving their separate ways. The maid of honor and best 'man' waited for the others to be situated before they stepped forward, Claire's arm lightly looped through Alice's. Claire moved with a grace that one wouldn't expect from a mechanic and someone that could kick ass with the best of them, and Alice tried desperately to not look like a complete fool at her side.

"What the hell did you do to him?" Claire asked after they had taken multiple steps, careful to keep her voice a whisper and a smile planted firmly on her face. Alice, however, could hear the threat in her voice.

"He was freaking out. I just acted," Alice defended, keeping her voice just as quiet and her smile just as radiant.

"You slapped the shit out of him, Alice!" Claire's voice raised in pitch in just the slightest, but not enough to draw attention.

"I didn't think of the consequences at the time!"

"Apparently," the redhead replied, though her partner could hear the amusement in her voice. Alice didn't reply, instead waited for the comment she knew was coming. "Jill is going to kill you." And _there_ is was! If they weren't walking down the isle, almost to the alter, Alice would have sighed in frustration.

In the second row from the front, on the direct end, Alice spotted Rain, and the look on the Hispanic's face as she spotted Alice and Claire together made Alice want to laugh. But, a few more steps and they had reached the alter. Reluctantly, the pair parted, standing in their respective positions. Their eyes locked for a moment, the redhead's smile widening just a bit before she passed her lover a wink. Alice grinned like a fool, but they both turned their eyes toward Carlos, who was now walking down the isle.

The man took only a few moments to reach his destination, standing beside the blond. On cue, Canon in D, played on a simple grand piano, began playing, and everyone stood to welcome the bride. First came the flower girl, and adorable little blond, spewing bright red rose petals on top of the white train. Jill and Chris appeared just a moment later, the woman's arm looped through the man's. At the sight of his bride, all possible air left Carlos' lungs. Just as Alice suspected, Jill was a vision in white, and, even thought she had been with the STARS agent when she had picked out the dress, she couldn't help but be just as stunned as her friend.

The dress was simple, but far from plain. It was strapless, hanging just off the shoulders. Sheer lacy sleeves with beaded floral imprint covered the woman's delicately tanned arms, and the same material covered the bust of the dress. The fabric around Jill's waist was slightly bunched and pulled off to one side, and, on that same side, just at the woman's hip, the material that made up most of the dress split, narrow at first then flaring more and more the closer it got to the bottom hem. The same material that made up her sleeves was layered on top of a sheet of white throughout the split, giving the dress a classic elegance that suited the rough-and-tumble woman perfectly. A long white train stretched out behind her, stirring the blood red petals in the slightest.

Jill looked positively radiant, and she only had eyes for Carlos. No veil covered her face, and a smile as wide as Texas curved her delicate, beautiful lips. She moved down the isle slowly, and with the grace of a cat, each footstep elegantly leading to the next. Her raven black hair was lightly curled, and her brilliant blue eyes sparked with pure adoration. All in all, Jill was a bride to rival them all, and not a single person in the room wasn't adequately stunned. Who would have thought such a tough, harsh cop could be transformed into such a beauty. Sure, Jill had always been beautiful, but dressed in white, on her wedding day, she was nothing short of stunning.

Not soon enough, the woman reached it to the alter, and Chris passed her off to Carlos. The soldier eagerly took the woman's lethal hands in her own much larger ones, his eyes never leaving her even for an instant. Alice could swear she heard the man's heart beating in his chest, and she couldn't help but think about what Claire might look like in a wedding dress. Would she look just as breath-taking? There wasn't a doubt in the blond's mind.

Almost on cue, her eyes met with the redhead's, each passing the other a look of complete adoration before the sound of the priest beginning his invocation. During the elegant speech, Alice could barely keep her eyes from the redhead. Claire caught her eyes, smiling in the slightest before mouthing 'focus' and shifting her eyes back to the couple. Alice got the hint, but she grudgingly looked back toward Carlos and Jill just in time to hear her best friend say 'I do'. Jill soon followed, and Alice had to resist rolling her eyes at the 'you may now kiss the bride' part.

The rest of the ceremony went rather quickly, and sooner than not, everyone tracked downstairs for the reception. The bridal party returned to their quarters to change into more...comfortable clothing before re-joining the rest of the guests. Alice and Claire gave their speeches and they had their toasts. Jill and Carlos shared their first dance, to Lady Antebellum's 'When You Got A Good Thing', and after that, the party was on.

Claire and Alice, unsurprisingly, were the center of the dance floor, the redhead's arms tight around the blond's neck as she moved in tune to the fast-paced music. The rest of their friends were gathered around, dancing in pairs as well. Claire's hands fell away without warning and the redhead turned in Alice's embrace, proceeding to grind her ass into her lover's hips. Alice was so caught up in trying to keep herself from mauling the younger woman that she didn't notice the glare Jill had been shooting her for the past half-hour.

After only a few more moments of torture, Alice just had to get away, or else she was going to strip the redhead naked in the middle of the floor and ravage her. "I'll be back. Going to get some drinks," she said in the younger woman's ear, smiling as Claire gave a small pout.

"Fine. Get me a beer," she replied with a smile which Alice returned. She confirmed with a nod before heading off toward the bar and ordering two beers. As she waited for her drinks, a very familiar voice sounded behind her, and it wasn't the one she wanted to hear.

"Well well well, if it isn't Alice Abernathy." The phrase was spoken in a sultry tone, and Alice turned. Standing before her was none other than Sheva Alomar, dressed to kill. The black woman stepped forward almost immediately and enveloped Alice in a hug, pressing her very voluptuous body tightly against her own. Any other time, Alice would be all over such an opportunity, but the only body she wanted pressed against her own now was Claire's.

"Well if it isn't Sheva Alomar," The blond said with a smile as soon as they parted, though she noted the other woman still held onto one of her hands. Alice pulled it away after only a few seconds of contact.

"So you do remember me," the African said with a smirk, her expression sultry. Alice scoffed before giving a short laugh.

"As if I could forget," she said in reply, remembering the other woman vividly. Sheva had been one of the many girls Alice had stolen from Carlos. They had been involved for a few months, their relationship centering around nothing but sex before Sheva had been called away on some mission. This was the first time Alice had seen her since her recall, and the black woman was obviously thinking they were going to pick up where they left off.

"Good thing. Here I was thinking you would look at me like I was a stranger." There was that seductive smirk again. Alice, not knowing what to say in reply, simply laughed slightly.

"So...uh, how was your mission?" the blond asked, trying to find something more neutral to talk about. Her eyes darted around for a second before they found Carlos and the soldier's eyes, thankfully, were already waiting for her. She hoped the plea in her own blue depths said enough.

"You know. Same as always. Storm in, shoot first, ask questions later. It was lonely, though," Sheva's voice dropped a few notches, and Alice couldn't miss the look in her eyes. She took a step forward, swaying her hips in the slightest. "Perhaps you could...help me with that?" The black woman's suggestive smile was more than enough to give Alice cause to worry, and she silently screamed at her best friend to get along with the rescue. Carlos, however, wasn't the one to rescue her. If it could be called a rescue...

"Alice?" A confused voice sounded behind her. "Did you get the beer?" The redhead asked, stepping to the blond's side. Alice released a breath as she realized that Claire was questioning her lack of frothy, fermented beverage, not the woman obviously flirting with her. However, it was then that the redhead noticed the woman standing much too close to her lover, and she was instantly on the defensive. "Who is this?"

"Sheva Alomar," the black woman said with a smile, holding her hand out to the redhead. She obviously hadn't put two and two together, and the connection hadn't been made in her head that the redhead was more than a friend to Alice. Claire extended her own hand, clasping the other woman's for only a second before dropping it.

"Claire Redfield."

"Pleasure to meet you," Sheva said with a smile.

"You too." Claire, in turn, didn't return the black woman's grin. "So, how well do you know Alice?" Claire asked after a second, causing the blond at her side to momentarily panic.

The answering look on Sheva's face caused the redhead's eyes to narrow. "_Very_ well," she said, stressing the 'very' in the slightest.

"Oh really," Claire turned her eyes on her lover, who managed to look extremely afraid.

"We've certainty had some good times, haven't we Alice?" the African said with a chuckle, passing the blond a sultry glance that had Claire bristling. But, a sly smile curved her lips. Two could play at that game. Without a second's delay, she slid closer to her lover and put a arm around her waist.

"Oh, I know all about that. Don't I baby?" The redhead commented with her own sultry smile, which put Sheva's to shame. Alice was partially shocked, as was the black woman. It took the blond a few seconds to catch on before she grinned in return, placing her own arm around the younger woman's waist. "Actually, I think we should go make some more good times. I don't know about you, but I hear a dance floor calling our names." The smile Alice gave the redhead was radiant, and in that moment she was sure she couldn't love Claire more.

"I think I can hear it too. I love this song!" The blond proclaimed, grasping her lover's hand and moving almost immediately to the dance floor, leaving a shocked and silent Sheva behind.

"You know," Alice shouted about the loud music as she pulled the redhead close, "You're absolutely adorable when you're jealous." Claire passed her a teasing smirk, and drew their bodies even closer.

"Yeah, and you're adorable when you're terrified about how I'll react to an ex throwing themselves at you," she shot back. "Besides, I'm not jealous. I simply dislike people hitting on my woman."

"Your woman, huh?" Alice asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh yeah, and don't you deny it." With that, Claire leaned in and placed a lingering kiss on the blond's lips, leaving her slightly breathless and more eager than ever to escape to the privacy of Claire's apartment.

"Do you wanna get out of here?" she whispered in her lover's ear, all too pleased with the mischievous smirk Claire flashed in return.

"Do I ever," The redhead replied, grabbing Alice's hand and pulling her toward the door.

* * *

><p>Claire barely had time to close the door behind them before Alice was pushing her against it. The blond's hands scorched a trail down her body, and hot lips pressed into the nape of her neck. Alice's tongue flicked out to brush against the redhead's most sensitive spot, and Claire couldn't suppress the anamilistic moan that escaped her lips. Her hands fisted in her lover's blond hair, and she arched herself into the other woman. Claire lost her shirt after only another few seconds, and the older woman's mouth moved from her neck to her collar bone.<p>

"Alice," Claire moaned in between gasps, tugging at the other woman's shirt in turn. She, of coarse, wasn't having any luck. She only managed to pull the material up a few inches before a heated hand pressing against her breast broke her train of thought. "Someone's...in...a hurry..." the redhead forced out brokenly. The feel of Alice's husky, desire filled chuckle thrumming against her skin hiked her pulse up even more, and Claire thought she would burst any second.

"Yeah, well...You only have yourself to blame for that," the blond murmured against creamy white skin, tugging at the younger woman's bra with annoyance.

"Don't you dare break that," Claire threatened, pushing the blond away for a moment to unclip the clasp in the back. The black, lacy material fell to the ground, and Alice's eyes burned along her naked flesh, causing Claire's temperature to spike.

The pair clashed together once again, their lips clamoring against one another heatedly. Without another word, Alice swooped the redhead into her arms and carried her to the bedroom, their lips never apart for long. Claire found herself laying on the bed before she knew it, and the easy weight of the older woman pressed her into the mattress. Claire, however, was determined that she was going to be the one in control. After watching Sheva's shameless flirting, she was determined to prove that the blond goddess ravaging her with kisses was, indeed, hers.

With a firm shove, she pushed the blond away. Alice went willingly, her eyes clouded over with confusion for a moment before Claire's words explained it all. "Your clothes. Lose them," the redhead commanded with a pointed expression to the blond's shirt and pants. Alice simply flashed her an understanding smile before she heeded the orders, stripping slowly for her lover. Claire was the only person Alice had ever let order her around, especially in the bedroom, but she would be lying to herself if she didn't admit that she loved every second of it.

As the last piece of cloth fell away, the redhead lifted one finger and, with a saucy smile, motioned the other woman forward. Alice didn't need to be told twice, and she was back to straddling the redhead, but Claire wasn't done yet. With one swift, fluid motion, she flipped the two of them over, placing herself firmly on top and firmly in control. The smile she passed Alice was feral, just before she lowered her head to place a trail of kisses down the blond's neck. Her mouth trailed lower, the younger woman none-so-gently licking and nipping her lover's flesh as she slowly made her way toward one perky breast.

Alice's hands balled in the sheets, her knuckles turning white with their intensity even as her eyes clenched shut and her head threw back into the pillow behind her. Her breaths were coming in rapid pants now, and she surrendered to the feelings Claire was inspiring in her body. Her mind ceased to function, and she could do nothing but feel. Occasional whimpers passed her parted lips, the sounds only serving to encourage the redhead. She withered on the sheets, arching her body and hips into the woman on top of her, her skin hyper-sensitive. Everywhere her flesh met Claire's turned to fire, and Alice could barely tell the difference from pleasure and pain.

Claire was taking her sweet time torturing her lover. Her mouth firmly closed on one hard nipple, and she swirled her tongue over the bud just before her teeth clamped gently down on it. Alice gave a sharp moan, and the redhead smiled against the woman's breast even as her other hand lifted to attend to the other. She took the nipple in between her thumb and forefinger, gently rolling it back and forth. The blond arched her chest into the woman's attentions, but Claire had no intention of lingering there much longer.

As if on cue, she her mouth away from Alice's breast and trailed her mouth to the woman's abdomen, sucking on the white flesh roughly. Though the older woman was well on her way to protesting the lack of warmth and moisture on her now super sensitive nipple, the feelings her lover were creating on her stomach quickly pushed all thought from her mind. The cold air drying the dampness from her peaks only added to her intense pleasure. God, she had never felt this good.

With purpose, Claire lightly ran her hands up and down the blond's thigh's, her feather light fingers in such sharp contract to the roughness of her mouth that goosebumps soon broke out all along Alice's body. Soon, the redhead's nimble fingers moved to the sensitive skin of her inner thighs, each touch sending volts of electricity through her body. Her moans and gasps grew more pronounced, leaving Claire intensely glad that her apartment was secluded from the others in the building.

Gently, Claire pried the blond's legs apart, encountering no resistance. Even if the older woman wanted to resist, which she definably did _not_, she had long ago lost control of her own body. Once again, the redhead's mouth lost contact with her skin, and she managed a groan of protest. Her head lifted slightly when the weight of Claire's body was gone all together, and lust-clouded blue eyes immediately made contact with green. It wasn't until that moment that Alice realized Claire wanted her to know exactly what she was about to do next, and a shiver went up her spine when, still firmly holding her gaze, Claire's head dipped between her parted legs.

Within seconds, she felt the redhead's mouth pressed against her center, her tongue lapping at her ultra-sensitive pleasure bud for the barest of moments. Alice cried out at the fire that engulfed her. Her hands clenched even tighter in the sheets, so hard she felt the sting of her fingernails digging into her skin through the fabric, but the slight pain was a pale imitation to the sheer pleasure that wracked her body. Her head whipped back, planting firmly in the mattress even as she arched her hips into Claire's mouth.

The redhead had never gone down on her, and Alice immediately knew what it was about. Claire was claiming her, marking her as her own, and it sent a thrill like no other up her spine. The action was so anamalistic and primal that the blond was almost sure her heart was going to stop any second. Her scalp tingled pleasantly, and blood soon pooled around her neck and chest, giving her skin a heated flush. But her torture had only just begun.

Claire's tongue quickly went to work, swirling and flicking against her engorged bud to the point where Alice was certain she was going to climax any second. The redhead, knowing her lover's body as intimately as she did, chose that exact moment to ease two fingers into the blond, causing her breath to catch and her body to contract in surprise. Gradually, she began pumping the digits into her lover's slick opening, the movement of her tongue slowing in the slightest.

The pressure continued to painfully build to the point where Alice was begging for release, not knowing weather she was feeling pleasure or pain, and at that point she didn't care. All she cared about was Claire was making her feel, and _Goddammit_ she felt good! Just as Alice was about to crash over the edge, Claire's steady pumping increased immensely, and the force of her tongue returned full force. Alice hit ecstasy in a matter of seconds, her toes curling as the most powerful orgasm she had ever felt wracked her body. She twitched and convulsed, cried and screamed, Claire's name leaving her lips more often than not.

But the redhead didn't stop there. As Alice rode out her orgasm, the younger woman's ministrations intensified. Alice's heart beat so heavily in her chest, the blond was surprised it hadn't broken her ribs by now, and she was beyond thinking. Her mind had completely shut down, not a single thought or emotion other than complete and utter pleasure filling her. Everything was forgotten, everything except the fingers pumping into her and the tongue driving her to the point of madness. At that point, she wasn't even aware that it was Claire driving her insane.

Just when Claire thought her lover would explode, her motions ceased. She pulled out of the woman's slick center and slowly crawled back up Alice's body, even as the blond lay, soaked in sweat and breathing laboriously, her eyes clenched shut and her body still twitching in the slightest. When the sensations in her body finally faded and she could once again think, she opened her eyes, turning to see an all-too-pleased Claire laying beside her, her elbow braced against the mattress and her head resting against her palm, a large grin on her face.

It had been the best orgasm of Alice's life, and they both knew it.

"So tell me," Claire began after a moment, her smile turning from pleased to completely seductive. "Was that better than you and your friend's 'good times'?"

Alice could barely hold enough air in her lungs to reply, but somehow she managed. "_Fuck yeah_." Her comment earned an amused chuckle from her lover. "Jesus _Christ_," Alice muttered, lifting one hand to press against her feverish forehead. Strands of blond hair were glued to her sweaty skin, but she was far from concerned with wiping them impatiently away.

"You can just call me Claire," the redhead replied with a large smile, leaning forward without another word to press her lips against the blond's.

Both knew without saying that it was going to be a long, pleasurable night.

**Parting words:** Don't forget guys! Review review review! I love hearing back from readers more than Alice loves guns...or Claire...SO REVIEW!


	3. Far From Okay

**Disclaimer; **I do not own RE, their characters (though I wish I did...); their plot, theme or names, and I do not claim ownership to them. However, I DO claim ownership to my writing, so please don't steal =)

**Rating;** T+ for some strong language and suggestive adult content.

**Pair; **Alice x Claire

It was a typical Thursday for the Claire and Alice. Since Thursdays were Spence's day at the Hive, Alice was free to spend them with Claire. The redhead had, in turn, taken the day off as well.

They were lunged on the couch, both still in their pajamas, watching movies. Claire was leaning heavily against the other woman, her head pillowed against her chest while one of the blond's arms was wrapped snugly around her shoulders. The movie playing on the TV was, as lame as it was, was X-Men two, but it was one of Claire's favorites, so Alice endured. The entire idea of mutants running around was beyond ridiculous to her.

After almost a year of being together, such afternoons came easily for the couple. They would lounge on the couch, or go out for a day in Racoon City, doing trivial things like shopping (which Alice likewise endured) or have lunch at their favorite little French bistro. Conversation came easily with without awkwardness, as it did with most couples in love, and they talked about everything - well, everything but Alice's job, which she was forbidden to discuss to outside parties.

They were a typical couple in love. The glances they received from pedestrians when they held hands had long ago lost their sting. The whispers they heard when they kissed on a park bench had long ago stopped bothering them. They were just Alice and Claire, and that was all that mattered to them. Besides, anyone that meant a damn to either of them looked upon their relationship with acceptance.

Yes, even Chris. It had taken some time, but Claire's brother had gotten over his issues with Alice, and she had likewise done the same with him. In fact, the two of them had found a comfortable middle ground. Chris had learned to accept Alice because he knew the blond would always put Claire before herself, and Alice had accepted Chris for the same reason. They had an understanding, and understanding had soon grown to acceptance and even fondness.

All was well in the world of Alice and Claire.

The sound of Alice's cell phone ringing reverberated over the movie, which just so happen to interrupt the part where Magneto escaped from prison, and Claire gave a frustrated sigh. Alice flashed a small smile and let it ring, focusing once more on the movie. Only a few seconds passed before the phone rang again, and it was Alice's turn to sigh in frustration. She couldn't think of many people that would call her twice in a row, especially on her day off, and it probably was something important, but important didn't fit into her plans for the day.

"Ignore it," Claire groaned, and Alice released a small chuckle, leaning forward to place a soft kiss on her lovers head before reaching over and picking up the phone.

"Abernathy," she said simply, waiting for the voice on the other line to reply. She didn't have to wait long.

"There's been a situation. Report to duty immediately," the voice was male, and, though the blond didn't recognize it, she knew it to be that of an Umbrella communications officer.

"Confirmed," She said simply before she slapped the flip phone shut, instantly ending the call.

Immediate recall...an situation...None of that sounded good to Alice, and she didn't want to think about what it might mean. But one thing was certain. Things were going to hell. And if things were going to hell, she didn't have much time.

Claire sat up, passing her a confused look. "Everything okay?" The concern in the redhead's voice was enough to break Alice from her trance, and the blond returned her gaze.

"Far from it." With that, the woman stood, leaving a stunned Claire behind. Her steps were determined as she moved to the bedroom, and it only took a few seconds for the redhead to follow, still looking frazzled.

Claire leaned against the doorway, her arms crossed over her chest. Her green eyes moved over to spot Alice rummaging through the closet before the blond pulled out a duffel bag. Her lover walked over and sat the bag on the bed, opening it and spreading it out before she moved quickly back to the closet. Claire's brow furrowed in confusion, wondering what the older woman was doing even as she took a moment to admire her.

Alice was dressed scantly, wearing only her boxer-cut underwear and a small spaghetti string tank top. The woman's arms were heavily muscled, but not so much to be unattractive. Her biceps were well defined and sculpted, and Claire knew from experience that the blond was strong enough to easily pick her up. In fact, she had on numerous occasions to press the redhead against a wall and ravage her neck with kisses, and hold her in the shower while she gasped in ecstasy. Oh yes, Claire was well aware of what those arms could do.

The rest of the blond's body was no less impressive. The redhead knew that, underneath her thin tank top, Alice's stomach was flat and toned, with only the slight definition of abs. Her small breasts were perky and, under Claire's mouth, tasted like heaven. Her legs were no less muscled than her arms, but were always gentle when the blond wrapped them around her waist to pull her body closer. Claire was very much aware of just what a great body her lover had.

But, even as she was admiring the view, she noticed what Alice was doing. Packing. But, the blond wasn't packing her own clothes. Everything she pulled from the closet belonged to Claire. The redhead tilted her head to the side, now fully awake as she tried to figure out what the other woman was doing. Finally, after a few more moments of coming to no conclusions, she asked.

"Alice? What are you doing? Are we going somewhere?" she asked, approaching the older woman. Alice turned toward her, and the redhead found herself worried by the look on her lover's face.

"You are. I'm not," she said softly, the words striking Claire like a physical blow. Her mind began working furiously, trying to figure out what her words meant, or could possibly mean. But, one question furiously repeated itself, even amongst all the others. Was Alice leaving her? Just the thought of such a thing had her heart beating furiously, and her throat dry. She couldn't even imagine her life without the blond.

"Wh...what.." she asked, the fear in her face, apparently, evident, as Alice immediately dropped what she was doing and took a step forward. Immediately, Claire found herself in those strong, protective arms, and her thoughts went away. But her fear didn't.

"No, baby. It's not like that," Alice said immediately, putting Claire's fears to rest. The blond woman always had a talent for knowing what her lover was thinking, and vice versa. They just had a natural connection, one that ran deeper than anything either woman had ever experienced before. To her distress, Alice soon found that the woman she held in her arms was shaking. She pulled the redhead tightly into her embrace.

"Something came up...at work. Something bad," she said, pulling away to look into her lover's beautiful green eyes. "I need you to get out of the city. If something goes down, I don't want you here. I can't have you here," Alice quickly explained, watching as the fear of her leaving was replaced with fear of her lover's words.

"What's happening?" Claire asked quickly, leaning slightly into the other woman's embrace.

"I don't know," Alice lied easily, "They didn't give me details. But they wouldn't call me this early, or on vacation for that matter unless something bad was going down. Something serious," Alice answered, moving back toward the closet and grabbing the rest of Claire's clothes. Once she had placed them into the duffel bag and zipped it up, she turned back toward the redhead. She opened her arms silently, waiting for her lover to come into her arms. Claire was only too happy to comply, quickly moving into the blonde's embrace.

"I need you to listen to me, Claire," Alice said as she held the woman in her arms tightly, making sure every word was closely accentuated, so she would understand the seriousness of the situation. "You have to get out of the city. You get Chris and you get out of the city. Go anywhere, but don't stay here, and don't come back until I either come for you or call you. Don't tell anyone where you're going, or why. Not even work. Just go. Do you understand?" she asked, pulling back to look intently at the woman she loved more than life itself. Claire could feel the pressure of the dire situation they were in, and the look in her eyes showed it.

"I want you to know," the blond said softly, reaching up her hands to cup the others cheeks, "that I love you more than anything in the world." With that, she bent her head and placed a soft kiss on the redhead's lips. But soon, passion took over, and both women were pressed against one another feverishly, each trying desperately to savor as much time as they had.

"I'll leave," Claire said, as they broke apart, looking deeply into Alice's bright blue eyes, "On one condition." Alice's relief quickly turned to hesitation, and she waited for the shorter woman to continue. "I'll leave if you promise me that you'll come back to me. Promise me, Alice. I can't leave knowing that I will never see you again," Claire pleaded, her own hands reaching up to caress Alice's face in return.

"Nothing could ever keep me apart from you. Not Umbrella, not the end of the world, not even death," the blond whispered feverishly before crushing her lips down on Claire's, as if to seal the promise. But, the redhead pulled apart after a second.

"You didn't promise," she whispered, her eyes fearful. Alice couldn't resist a small smile at the redhead's stubbornness.

"I promise." Once more, their lips met, the shorter woman's arm's reaching up to wrap around the other woman's neck, deepening the kiss in an attempt to make the moment last forever. But, in the back of her mind, Alice's words kept repeating themselves. _'Not the end of the world...Not the end of the world...'_

Finally, the pair pulled apart and moved almost as one, each woman going separate ways without another word. The worried, loving glances they threw to each other on occasion said everything words couldn't. Claire began dressing in the few clothes she had left, pulling on a pair of tight fitting jeans and a worn ACDC t-shirt. She pulled on a pair of old, black combat boots she had picked up from an army consignment shop, and took the extra time to turn to watch Alice.

The blond's outfit was a bit more extensive. Firstly, she slipped on a pair of black pants, the clinging fabric accentuating her firm calf and thigh muscles perfectly, much to Claire's delight. Next, on top of her black bra and thin creme tank top, she pulled on her Umbrella issue Kevlar vest, just as a precaution and, over that, a long sleeve sweater sporting the Umbrella logo on the arm. On top of the sweater came her 'name vest' as she called it, or a thick vest which had a rather large Umbrella logo printed on it, and the name 'Abernathy' painted in white across her shoulder blades. Alice, as well as Claire, slipped on her black combat boots, though her own were distinctly less worn and brightly polished. After that came weapons.

Moving over to the dresser, she pulled open the top drawer and typed in the seven-digit access code, waiting for the screen to pull back and reveal her most prized possessions, aside, of coarse, from Claire. But, holsters came first. Around her waist she snapped a utility belt, complete with holster's for two Heckler & Koch MP7A1 sub-machine guns as well as pockets for numerous other weapons, including places for multiple shurikens, a couple of hand grenades, and a bowie knife. At the back of the belt were multiple slots for spare magazines. To her thighs she strapped holsters for two twin Para-Ordnance Nite-Tac pistols. On top of her identification vest, she put on her shoulder holster, which had a place between her shoulder blades for a Katana sword, and holsters for two pistols at her sides.

Now that her holsters were in place, it was time to accessorize. One by one, she pulled the firearms from their respective places in the weapons case, checking to make sure all were loaded and undamaged before slipping them into their holsters. Next, she removed her sword and easily slid it into the place on her back, ready to slice and dice in an instant. After that, she pulled her shuirkens out and slipped them into their places on her belt before they were joined by two grenades and four magazine clips; two for her Nite-tac's and two for her Heckler & Kocks. The small Smith and Wesson pistols resting at her sides were really only backups, so they didn't merit any extra ammunition. Next, she slipped a dangerous looking bowie knife at her side, before slipping another into her boot. All in all, dressed in full Umbrella issue combat gear, Alice was nothing less than terrifying.

Claire looked with awe at her lover for, though she knew that the blond was extensively trained in combat, not to mention dangerous as hell, she had never seen the other woman look so incredibly intimidating. Claire actually found herself slightly afraid of the woman she loved. Now completely dressed, Alice turned toward Claire, seeing she was too. As if in afterthought, Alice reached back into the weapons case and pulled out a Glock 17 pistol and two spare magazines before pressing a button and watching the case once more lock.

She approached Claire with a serious look in her eyes. Without a word, she grabbed Claire's hand and placed the sleek black handgun into her palm. Claire looked up at her questionably, but took the weapon nonetheless. If Alice was giving her a gun, things must be really bad. Not only a gun, either, but spare clips. Claire couldn't imagine what she would need the seventeen rounds already in the gun for, let alone thirty-four extra.

"Do you remember how to use it?" the blond asked, her blue eyes serious and concerned.

"Yes," Claire said confidently, all the times Alice and Chris had taken her to the shooting range coming back into her mind.

At the time, it had seemed like just an out-of-the-box way to spend the time, but now she realized what it had really been; they had been preparing her. For what, she didn't know, but she knew it was no joke. In that instant, all the times Alice and Chris had shared a concerned look came back to her as well, but she had passed that off as well. Now, she knew that the pair knew something she didn't, and it worried her.

Silently, Alice grabbed the duffel bag, quickly tossing the extra ammunition in a side pocket, with one hand and held her other out for the redhead. Without a word, Claire grasped the hand offered to her and went along with her lover, cold dread filling her as Alice lead her toward the garage that attached to the small apartment they shared. Flicking on the lights and grabbing the two sets of keys hanging on the wall next to the door, Alice released her lovers hand and moved toward the yellow hummer, opening the back door and tossing the bag inside. Quickly, she moved toward the far corner of the garage and grabbed another bag, filled with emergency food and water, and tossed it in the back as well.

"You take the hummer. I'll take the jeep," the blond said, moving back toward the woman and handing her the set of keys for the reinforced Umbrella vehicle.

Unlike most Umbrella possessions, however, the bright yellow vehicle lacked the red and white logo, for which Claire was grateful. She nodded slowly, walking toward the driver side door. Before she ever had time to open it and slip into the leather seat, Alice had flipped her around and pressed her body against the yellow vehicle, her lips crashing down on the redheads with need. Claire was only too happy to return the kiss, wrapping her arms around the blonde's neck and pulling her as close as possible, which, to her disappointment, wasn't as close as she would have liked due to the combat gear her lover was sporting.

The kiss ended much sooner than she would have wanted, but she allowed the blond to pull back, her green eyes meeting blue. "Remember what I told you. Get out of the city, no matter what. As soon as possible," Alice whispered fervently, her eyes desperate.

"Remember your promise," she replied just as desperately, knowing full well this could be the last time she saw the woman she loved.

"I will if you will," the blond teased, whispering against the redheads lips with a small smile. "I love you." Their lips pressed together one more, desperate time before Alice finally forced herself to back away and move toward the sleek black jeep parked beside the hummer. Unlike the hummer, the bright logo of the most powerful commercial entity in the world was painted on both the passenger and driver side door.

"Alice!" Claire called beside the yellow hummer's open driver side door, waiting for the blond to turn and look at her before she continued. "I love you too." The words held every ounce of emotion the redhead felt at the moment; Fear- mostly for her lover-, uncertainty, hesitation and, lastly, love. Alice flashed her a smile before blowing her a kiss, and with that, Claire pulled herself into the drivers seat, slammed the door shut, and revved the engine.

**Comments**; Yes, Alice is combat gear would be terrifying, not to mention the hottest thing in the world. 'Jus sayin'. Be jealous of the images in my mind after writing that. You should be. Their great images. -waggles eyebrows- You gotta love Claire in jeans and an ACDC t-shirt too.

I thought it would be cute if Claire's precious hummer and Glock 17 were from Alice...you know, the last things she has of her and all that. AH-DORABLE.

There will probably only be one (maybe two) more chapters for this story, but don't worry. The sequel is already planned ;D


	4. Left Behind

Alice stood still, her hand on the handle of the driver's side door of her jeep to watch Claire back the Hummer up into the road. The pair shared one last look before the redhead shifted the gear into drive and pulled away from the home she had shared with Alice for over a year. Automatically, she headed in the direction of the Racoon City Police department, where she knew her brother would be. It was where he always was...

As she drove, however, her mind was filled with rampaging thoughts and images, the most predominate being of the night her and Alice had shared making passionate love. It, quite possibly, had been the last time she would ever feel her lover's touch, at least for a long time, and Claire found herself wishing she had made the night last longer. It was the little things that almost haunted her now; the way Alice's breath felt against her skin, the way her stomach was resulted to a pit of butterflies when the blond said her name or told her she loved her...Things Claire knew she would miss desperately in the their time apart.

She didn't know how long she drove, but soon enough, the obnoxious sign of the RCPD came into view. She pulled into the nearest open space, which just so happen to be right in front of the door, and, after shutting off the engine, hopped from the vehicle and cleared the steps to the doors. She moved with purpose to the counter, leaning against it slightly to spot a middle-aged black man sitting at the desk, looking like he was going to fall asleep any second.

"Identification and issue," the portly officer, who hadn't looked up to greet her, droned, as if the words were engrained in his brain. _Some welcome, _Claire commented internally, even as she leaned against the front desk.

"Claire Redfield, here to see Chris Redfield. It's urgent," She said, straight and to the point. This seemed to gain the officer's attention, and he looked up at her with sharp eyes, looking her up and down before he asked for her I.D. Claire reached around toward her back pocket before she realized she had left it in the truck, silently cursing herself for the un-necessary waste of time, especially when she was in such a hurry. However, a voice calling her name saved her from the explanation.

"Claire?" the voice was distinctly feminine, and the redhead looked over to see Jill, her brother's partner, approaching her. The woman was dressed as usual, complete with the khaki cargo pants, white shirt with the S.T.A.R.S logo on it's arm, and green vest. Matching green boots encased her petite feet, and a pistol holster was strapped to her thigh. Claire noted, internally, that the black haired woman in combat gear didn't look nearly as good as Alice did.

"Hey, Payten, she's good. She's who she says she is," the black haired woman said to the man sitting on the desk, who looked away disinterestedly.

The two women met halfway, Jill's usually stoic face adopting a confused, worried expression. Claire, in turn, breathed a sigh of relief at seeing her best friend, but this wasn't a social call.

"Claire, is everything alright?" The woman asked, her beautiful face marred with concern.

"I'm here for Chris. Can you get him for me?" the redhead asked, not wasting any time. Jill looked even more confused, but she nodded in agreement.

"Sure. Give me a minute," Jill said, walking away to go get her brother. Thankfully, Claire didn't have to wait very long. Chris soon came into view, dressed in the same uniform as Jill, his large bulk only too familiar to the redhead. Immediately, he walked forward and grasped Claire's hands, his expression one of worry.

"Claire?" he asked questionably, his green eyes narrowed slightly. "What's wrong. Why are you here?" If Claire hadn't been in so much of a hurry, she would have found his worry touching. But, she was running out of time, so she immediately got down to business. Grabbing her brother's hand's in return, she pulled him to the side and proceeded to explain in hushed tones.

"We have to leave. Alice got a call, and she had to go to work. Something happened..." she paused in her haste to explain everything in a few seconds, even thought she was failing miserably. "She dressed in combat gear, Chris, combat gear!" The redhead ended frantically, almost losing control of her carefully contained emotions in her haste.

"Hey, It's fine" her brother said soothingly, pulling the redhead into his embrace. If Claire had been able to see his face, she would see the realization mixed with fear there. Chris, like Alice, knew exactly how dire the situation was, and once more thanked God that his sister was with someone as capable as Alice. The blond always thought of her lover before herself, and it was one reason Chris respected her so much. But, with what he knew was coming, he couldn't leave. Alice had known that, but apparently she hadn't told Claire.

"No Chris, It's not. I've never seen her like that. She just kept telling me to get out of the city, no matter what. Over and over again. What's going on?" Claire begged her brother for the answers her lover wouldn't give her, hoping that Chris would explain.

"Something bad, Claire. But you have to listen to Alice. Get out of the city. Today. Now," he specified, pulling away from Claire to look into her green eyes. "Do you have food...water?" Claire simply nodded, absorbing the fact that he wasn't going to tell her anything either. And then, it hit her. He had said 'you', not 'we'.

"You're not coming...?" she asked in disbelief, seeing the answer flash in her brother's matching green eyes before he ever answered with words.

"No, I'm not coming," he replied guiltily, unable to meet his sisters gaze anymore.

"I cant believe this! First Alice and now you! Is everyone going to abandon me without any sort of explanation?" The redhead was in a rage now, unable to believe that the two people she loved most in her life were leaving her alone. Chris reached out to grasp her shoulder, but she immediately ripped away from him, not wanting to feel him touch her.

"Claire, would you give me a second," he pleaded, becoming intensely aware of the eyes that were starring at him. Jill immediately came over, her expression almost angry.

"What's going on?" the black-haired woman asked, her eyes flashing between Chris and Claire.

"It's happened," the man replied simply, much to Claire's disbelief. Jill looked, at first, shocked and then abashed, which only furthered the redhead's anger.

"So she knows what the fuck is going on, but I don't?" the redhead raged, ignoring the surprised look on the other woman's face. Chris stepped forward to grasp his sister's shoulders, and forced her to meet his eyes.

"I'm trying to tell you!" he waited a moment to let his sister calm before he continued. "For years now, Umbrella has been working on some kind of viral weaponry. Alice, Jill, myself and a few others have been trying to expose them. Alice was working undercover in their facility, called the Hive. She was trying to figure out what they were working on, and a few days ago, she did. It's some kind of Bio-Organic Weapon, called the Tyrant Virus," he said, speaking in frantic, hushed tones to a very surprised Claire.

So many questions were buzzing around her head at once. Alice was working undercover? Why hadn't she told her? Viral Weaponry? Eventually, Claire just settled for a dumfounded 'What'.

Jill, who took her 'what' as a question about Chris' last comment, felt the need to elaborate. "We don't know much about it, and we don't know what they want to do with it, but we can only assume it isn't anything good."

"Why...why didn't she tell me," It was the one thing Claire really wanted to know. And the answer came faster than she could expect.

"I didn't want her to tell you. I wanted it to be kept from you. Just in case something went wrong, you wouldn't be envolved. I wanted-" Claire didn't give him a chance to finish, and instead went straight into bitching him out.

"You didn't want me to be involved? Chris, what the fuck! I _am _involved! Just by being with Alice, I'm involved! Everyone knows we're together! _If something happened_, don't you think they would expect me to be apart of it?"

Chris, thankfully, was saved from having to answer by Jill. "Did she tell Carlos?" The brunette asked, concern clear on her face.

"I...I don't know. She didn't call anyone after Umbrella, but she might have since I left her."

Jill nodded, before turning to Chris. "I have to call him. I have to let him know."

Before she could duck away, however, Claire spoke again, her face tight with anger. "Was I the only one that didn't know about this?"

"Yes." Claire turned her rage fully on Chris, and Jill took the opportunity to slip away unnoticed.

"Of all the fucking stupid things, Chris. What the hell were you thinking?" Claire's arms were crossed over her chest, and Chris recognized the look on her face intimately. He was about to be in big trouble.

"I didn't want you to be involved. I was just trying to keep you safe."

"So you decided to keep me uninformed? That isn't keeping me safe, Chris. That's putting me in more danger. I _can't _believe Alice agreed to this!"

"It took a lot of convincing, believe me."

"I'm not leaving." This seemed to get his attention, because Chris' jaw dropped.

"What do you mean, your not leaving?" he practically yelled, catching the instant attention of everyone in the station as well as Jill. The black-haired woman made her way back to the siblings, a look of concern on her face.

"If you're not coming, I'm not leaving..." This was the only way she could think of to make him come with her, and there was no way she was leaving without him. She wasn't going to lose both Alice and Chris this night.

"Claire..." It was Jill that tried to reason, and her best friend placed a hand on her arm. Claire jerked it away, flashing her a glare that she had not earned. "Claire, this is stupid. Something is coming. Something bad...and do you think Alice and Chris or myself for that matter would be able to fight it knowing you would be in danger?"

"Why the fuck does everyone assume that I can't take care of myself!" the redhead shouted indignantly, earning many shocked glances. "I might not be a cop or extensively trained in combat like everyone else of my God damn friends, but I can take care of myself! I can handle a piece just as good as you or Chris can, and I can kick ass just as well too." At this, both Chris and Jill raised their eyebrows. "Okay, maybe not as well as you two, but I can kick ass with the best of them!" She was on a rage now, and ranting just so happen to be her rage downfall.

"I can't believe Alice agreed to this..." It was a frustrated growl now, and Claire find herself regretting promising Alice she would leave town. After a few moments of pacing, which Jill and Chris watched her do warily, Claire turned toward them, eyes narrowed and lips pressed in a thin line. "Fine." Both Jill and Chris were adequately shocked.

"Wha...what?" Chris mumbled, his expression completely dumfounded.

"I'll leave. But not for you and not for Jill or anyone else. I'm leaving because I promised Alice I would. But the next time you see her," she said, her voice going from almost wistful to threatening. "You tell her that she has some explaining to do, and she better come up with one hell of a way to make this up to me. I'm talking about sexual favors that have never been even dreamed about before."

At this, both Chris and Jill grimaced. The latter decided to comment. "I so did not want or need to know that." At Claire's glare, however, she wisely shut up.

"Okay..." Chris said after a second, passing Jill a worried glance.

"You had better hope that this 'situation' isn't as bad as you think it is. Because if you get yourself killed, you're going to be in soo much trouble," the redhead said with conviction, her mouth set in a thin line. Chris smiled and stepped forward, pulling the redhead into a tight hug.

"Yeah, sis, I know. I know." Claire returned the embrace, and she felt unwilling tears fell her eyes.

When the siblings unwillingly pulled apart, Jill immediately too Chris' place, and Claire felt herself clinging to her best friend in a desperation. Tonight she would have to walk away from everyone who meant the most to her, and it was much much harder than she would have anticipated.

"I love you. Stay safe," Jill whispered in her ear, the black-haired woman's arms tightening just a bit before they broke apart. The tears Claire had spent so much effort trying to conceal unwillingly spilled from her eyes, and she reached up a hand to impatiently brush them away.

"Be careful, sis." Chris' voice caught, and she could tell he, too, was fighting back tears. A glance to his right side confirmed that, though Jill was defiantly torn up about the situation, she was nowhere close to water works. She was simply too proud and dignified for such things. She flashed the redhead a small smile, and with that, Claire turned and headed back through the double doors, down the steps, and toward the hummer...and away from the people that meant the most to her.

**Parting Notes;** Okay, my dears. This is the last of it for Engagement Party! I hope you enjoyed the ride, and don't despair. A sequel is already planned! I just have to finish a few things I'm already working on, which I'm sure you all will enjoy, and then I'll begin working on it. Please remember to leave reviews (because I love them!) and throw in some ideas about what you would like to see in the sequel, eh? Thanks for sticking with me this long, guys. Much love, Luxor.


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